00:00Leader of the Movement for Social Justice, David Abdullam, at a press conference on Sunday,
00:06making this call to trade unions and, by extension, the workers they represent.
00:11Now is the time. Now is the time to take action. Now is the time to do something by way of
00:20direct, disciplined mass action. And when we talk about disciplined mass action, we
00:25are speaking about demonstrations and other forms of mass action that show, in concrete
00:33ways, the unity of working people, the unity of the trade union movement, as you unite
00:39and fight to win.
00:41Abdullam's call comes on the heels of a series of recent sustained industrial protests, with
00:47Port of Spain dock workers over the past month, TNTEC workers three weeks ago, and last Thursday
00:53and Friday, postal workers. The MSJ shares its view concerning what has become a contentious
00:59memorandum of agreement signed between the Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union
01:04and the Port Authority and the former line minister for the port, Stephen Cadiz.
01:10He came out and said recently that, yes, it was a legal, legitimate settlement and the
01:16government ought to honour it, that 12% wage increase, that should be effective way back
01:21from 2015. Port workers are demanding the implementation of that, as is their right,
01:27and we support the port workers in that regard, congratulate them on their actions.
01:32In terms of the 120th report of the Salaries Review Commission, which has proposed substantial
01:39salary increases for the president, prime minister, chief justice, parliamentarians
01:44and several top public servants, Abdullam has this to say.
01:49So we get these obscene proposals by the SRC. They may have done a proper evaluation,
01:56we have no doubt, and they did comparative salaries.
02:00But Abdullam says a job evaluation was done at TTPost several years ago, where an 18%
02:07increase was recommended for postal workers, but never implemented.
02:11Even if the SRC by law has to submit its report, then surely there should have been a statement
02:18by the minister of finance, or the prime minister better, saying that for his part,
02:24the government's part, there will be no debate on this matter, because we are not accepting
02:29the report.
02:30The MSJ states that there is a high level of inequality when it comes to the distribution
02:36of wealth in the country.
02:38Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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